Violin-bridge.



PATENTBD FEB. -3, 1903.

No. 719,604.v

W. H. MOWHIRTBR. VIOLIN BRIDGE.

APPLICATION FILED DOT. a, 1902.

10 MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HENRY MOWHIRTER, OF ALGOMA, MISSISSIPPI.

VIOLIN-BRIDGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 719,604, dated February 3, 1 903.

Application filed October 3,1902.

T0 on whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM HENRY Mo- WHIRTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Algoma, in the county of Pontotoc and State of Mississippi, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Violin- Bridges; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is designed to improve the tone of all that class of musical instruments that depend on strings and includes violins, mandolins, banjos, and guitars.

It consists of a small piece of wood or metal placed under the bridge of the instrument, the addition or improvement and the bridge proper to constitute what may be called a double bridge.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top plan view of a violin with my invention attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a crosssectional view of Fig. 1 looking from the rear end thereof on the dotted line mm. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the feet of the bridge with projections, and also a view of the lower edge of the bridge with projections. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the under bridge A, with recesses c, in which the projections cl fit.

The device is shown in Fig. 2. The under bridge is represented by the letters A, and the ends rest on the body of the instrument immediately below the ends of the bridge and support the bridge.

The device consists of a solid piece of metal or wood, concave shaped, the ends resting on the body of the instrument, as stated, prousing the old bridge is given to the vibrations of the tenor and treble strings.

By placing Serial No. 125,786. (No model.)

this device on the instrument the sound vibrations are carried over and the vibrations of the brass strings and the counter strings are also communicated to the sounding-post. The vibrations are made to strengthen one another, and the tone of the instrument is thereby made stronger, purer, and clearer. By the old plan the vibrations of the several strings are unevenly communicated to the body of the instrument and to the soundingpost. By this method there is complete harmony and unison among the several strings and discards are prevented. The commonest and most discordant of musical instruments are thereby changed into instruments of purer tone and clearer harmony and unison.

Having described my invention, what I claim as'new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A bridge device for a violin or other similar instrument, consisting of an under bridge A, its ends adapted to fit on the upper face of the upper wall of the violin; said ends having in their upper faces perforations c, and a bridge B, adapted to sit on the ends of said under bridge, and provided with feet 01, to enter said. perforations a, substantially as shown and described and for the purposes set forth.

2. A bridge device for violin or similar instrument, consisting of a bowed under bridge A, its ends adapted to fit on the upper face of the upper wall of a violin, and having therein recesses, and an upper bridge B, having feet to rest on the ends of said bowed under bridge; projections d, extending from the lower ends of the feet of said upper bridge, and entering the recesses c, of the bowed under bridge, substantially as shown and described and for the purposes set forth.

V In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM HENRY MCWHIRTER.

WVitnesses:

W. M. DONALDSON, O. A. BRATTON. 

